Planting the Seeds of Opportunity

Image: Cover page for The Enchanted Drill Bit written, illustrated and published by grade three and four students at Tilley School with support from Enerplus. Cover illustration by Delaney Tateson, grade four.

Elementary school teacher Janice Jensen and her students at Tilley School in Tilley, Alberta have taken environmental sustainability to a new level since the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers’ (CAPP) Energy in Action program visited their community three years ago.

On Tilley’s Energy in Action day in May 2007, students and oil and gas industry volunteers built indoor greenhouses that they use to grow food and flowers to raise money for the local food bank. The event also sparked a long lasting relationship between the school and companies that operate in the area.

Jensen saw the Energy in Action program as a window of opportunity. “A strong relationship with Enerplus and BP Canada was built that day and it has continued to this day,” she said. Since Energy in Action, Janice has worked closely on a variety of projects with BJ Arnold, Stakeholder Relations Advisor, and Lorne Schmidt, District Foreman, both of Enerplus. “It wasn’t just a one day event for them, they have stayed actively involved. The students get very excited when Lorne and BJ come to visit.”

Lorne and BJ have judged the school energy fair, spoke to the grade 3 and 4 class every year about oil and gas in the Tilley region, and they have continued to support the school’s environmental projects supplying donations for rechargeable batteries, greenhouses and compost bins.

Most recently, with advice from CAPP’s Energy in Action program, Janice and her students took advantage of BP Canada’s A+ for Energy grant and got more support from Enerplus to write, illustrate, and publish “The Enchanted Drill Bit,” a children’s book about the oil and gas industry and its products. The school will continue to seek industry support for environmental initiatives such as installing low-flow faucets and toilets in the washrooms so teachers, parents and students can learn more about the decisions everyone can make to reduce water and electricity use.

“These students are educators and mentors and it’s a privilege to work with a school that has such a passion for learning,” said Enerplus’ Arnold. “Enerplus is looking forward to continuing its relationship with the entire Tilley community for many years to come.”

Since 2004, 52 companies and more than 1,629 company volunteers have participated in Energy in Action events in 49 communities across Canada. Together they have planted nearly 4,700 trees and shrubs, and taught close to 5,000 students about energy resources and the benefits of careful resource development.